Pseudopalatus

Pseudopalatus. Image modified from original by Jeff Martz.

Meaning: "false palate"

Species: P. pristinus Mehl, 1928; P. buceros Cope, 1881; P. mccauleyi Ballew, 1989; and P. jablonski Parker and Irmis, 2006

Nominal Author: Mehl, 1928

Age: Late Triassic

Location: Southwestern USA

Physical Characteristics: A large (3-4 meter) phytosaur with a robust rostrum and distinct dorsal crest.

Jurassic Phytosaur

Many of you have probably already heard, especially if you read Chinleana, that there is a paper out suggesting that at least one phytosaur - a marine phytosaur - survived into the Jurassic. I am extremely skeptical about this, but I'm aso not dismissing the idea altogether. Currently, the Jurassic (in the marine record) i defined by the first appearance of the ammonoid Psiloceras. The phytosaur discussed in this paper was found in the horizon just below the first appearance of Psiloceras, which I think makes it quite easy to conclude that the phytosaur was Late Triassic in age. But you should certainly have a read for yourself. And as we know, extinction events aren't always the most clean, abrupt events in the geologic record, so it will be interesting to see how this pans out.

Maisch, M. W. & Kapitzke, M. 2010. A presumably marine phytosaur (Reptilia: Archosauria) from the pre-planorbis beds (Hettangian) of England. Neues Jahrbuch für Geologie und Paläontologie, Abhandlungen 257: 373–379. DOI: 10.1127/0077-7749/2010/0076

Rutiodon

Meaning: "wrinkle tooth"
Species: R. carolinensis, R. manhattanensis (?)
Nominal Author: Emmons 1856
Age: Middle Carnian (Triassic)
Location: Eastern US (North Carolina, possibly New Jersey and Pennsylvania)
Physical Characteristics: Piscivorous phytosaur of 3 to 8 meters in length with a gavial-like long, slender snout. Skull can be identified by slight posterior depression of the supratemporal fenestra and homodont dentition. Nares are positioned at the highest point on the skull.